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This article is about Goku's grandpa. For other uses, see Gohan (disambiguation).

"These fights are like the weather. No guarantees."
— "The Mysterious Fifth Man"


Grandpa Son Gohan (孫悟飯じいさん Son Gohan Jīsan) is a martial artist who was Master Roshi's number one pupil. He is the adoptive grandfather of Goku.[1]

Due to being accidentally killed by a rampaging Great Ape Goku before the start of the Dragon Ball series, he does not fully debut until his disguised appearance as "The Mysterious Fifth Man" alongside Fortuneteller Baba's other fighters, where he temporarily reunites with Goku. In anime filler, he currently holds a position as Annin's attendant and bodyguard of the Furnace of Eight Divisions.

Grandpa Gohan is responsible for giving Son Goku his Earth name and serves as an important mentor and parent figure in his life, being firstly responsible for Goku's kindhearted and heroic nature. His legacy runs deep through his adoptive grandson's family, as Goku's son Gohan was named in honor of him.

Appearance[]

Grandpa Gohan is a short, stubby old man with small dark eyes and a bushy white mustache and eyebrows and is also bald. He wears a Chinese martial arts uniform, which consists of a sleeveless orange jacket over a long-sleeved black shirt and wears a green hat.

Personality[]

Grandpa Gohan is a kind and loving man, kind enough to adopt Goku when he found him in the woods, and patient enough to keep him despite how terrible the young Saiyan behaved before his head injury. It is likely much of Goku's personality and morality came from him. Even though Goku was responsible for his death, Grandpa Gohan did not show any signs of resentment towards him, as shown in their reunion where he expresses happiness at seeing him again.

According to Goku, Grandpa Gohan had good manners and acted well towards ladies. Grandpa Gohan may have been popular with the ladies, or perverted just like Master Roshi, because he says "I've got a lot of friends, and most of them are brunettes" in the Fortuneteller Baba Saga.

Biography[]

Background[]

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Grandpa Gohan finds Goku's space pod

Grandpa Gohan was a martial artist who trained under Master Roshi with Ox-King when he was younger. He was close friends with Ox-King. According to Master Roshi, Grandpa Gohan and Ox-King both delivered milk, just like Goku and Krillin did later as part of their training under Roshi. During his time under Master Roshi, Grandpa Gohan was the better pupil, as unlike Ox-King, Grandpa Gohan was able to learn Master Roshi's signature technique, the Kamehameha and once while sparring with Master Roshi, forced his master to utilize his Turtle Style Last Resort. Grandpa Gohan also wielded the Power Pole, which was given to him by his master.

When Grandpa Gohan was an old man, he lived by himself on Mount Paozu (in Dragon Ball Z, his old house is still next to Goku's house). He became the adoptive grandfather of Goku when he found him near the landing site of his space pod when he was a baby. When Goku first landed on Earth, his mission was to, in time, destroy the entire human race and sell the planet to someone else. Being a Saiyan, who are known to be aggressive and short-tempered, Goku was very uncooperative at first (in Dragon Ball Z: Bardock - The Father of Goku, he simply laughs as Grandpa Gohan found him in the wilderness).

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Grandpa Gohan holding Goku after finding him in the woods

After falling into a ravine, Goku hit his head, causing him to lose his memory, and became a regular happy, loving boy. Grandpa Gohan passed on his martial arts knowledge to Goku. He also warned Goku to never look at a full moon and to stay indoors on nights of one; implying that Goku had already transformed into a Great Ape before, and Grandpa Gohan managed to survive the first time. Goku followed his advice for sometime until one night (as Goku explained to Bulma, Yamcha, Puar and Oolong what happens when he looks at a full moon while they were held in prison at Pilaf's Castle) when Goku stepped outside to relieve himself. He then glanced at the full moon, transforming into a Great Ape, and went on a rampage, killing Grandpa Gohan, though because Goku did not remember what he did when transformed he was not aware of it.

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Gohan warns Goku about the full moon

From that time on, Goku believed that Grandpa Gohan was killed by a monster and that his soul was in the Four-Star Dragon Ball. In Dragon Ball Z, when Goku was battling Vegeta as he transforms into a Great Ape, Goku finally realizes that he killed Grandpa Gohan when he was little and would apologize to his grandfather.

Jaco the Galactic Patrolman[]

Main article: Dragon Ball Minus: The Departure of the Fated Child

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Grandpa Gohan and Goku in Jaco the Galactic Patrolman

In Mount Paozu, Gohan finds an alien, so he then takes him to his home. Grandpa Gohan feeds the alien, and he questions where he came from. Since he doesn't know what his name was, he gives him the name, "Son Goku" because he came from the sky. It should be noted that unlike the anime's presentation of these events, in Dragon Ball Minus Goku is three years old and was found wearing Saiyan Battle Armor, having been sent to Earth by his biological parents, Bardock and Gine. Though Goku seems to be well behaved in Dragon Ball Minus, it is implied that Grandpa Gohan was able to placate the young Saiyan with food, and Gohan's statements before naming him imply that they fought one another off panel, which is still in line with Master Roshi's comments regarding the pre-head injury Kakarot/Goku being wild, as Grandpa Gohan notes he has no manners as he stands on the table to eat instead of sitting

Additionally, parts of Dragon Ball Minus were later adapted to Dragon Ball Super: Broly, which depicts Goku being sent to Earth wearing the same Battle Armor from Dragon Ball Minus, and Bardock's Dragon Ball Minus characterization also appears in flashbacks during the Granolah the Survivor Saga indicating that Bardock - Father of Goku has been retconned as non canon at least in regards to Dragon Ball Super.

Dragon Ball[]

Fortuneteller Baba Saga[]

Main article: Fortuneteller Baba Saga

"I've got a lot of friends, and most of them are brunettes."
— "True Colors of the Masked Man"

TrueColorsOfTheMaskedMan

Grandpa Gohan fights Goku, wearing his fox mask

During the Fortuneteller Baba Saga, Goku, Yamcha, Puar, Upa and Krillin must fight Fortuneteller Baba's five fighters in order to find the last Dragon Ball. Goku is the last one left to fight, and Fortuneteller Baba brings out a "special" fighter as her last. The last opponent is a mysterious man wearing a fox mask. Master Roshi then realizes that that man is Goku's deceased grandfather, Grandpa Gohan. Grandpa Gohan and Goku fight about evenly, until Gohan grabs Goku's tail (knowing his weakness as he trained and raised him) and beats him on the ground, back and forth, with Goku helpless.

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Grandpa Gohan fights Goku

The others are baffled as to why he is just pounding and pounding on Goku. After unintentionally ripping Goku's tail off, causing Goku to go in a rage, Grandpa Gohan surrenders and explains that he was trying to make a point to Goku that he needs to train harder and make his tail work for him instead of against him, and through these words, Goku realizes his identity. Seeing no reason to continue concealing his identity, Grandpa Gohan unmasks himself, and Goku immediately rushes over to give his late Grandpa a hug, leading to an emotional reunion.

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Grandpa Gohan without his mask on after fighting his adoptive grandson Goku

Grandpa Gohan and Fortuneteller Baba go on to explain that Baba has the power to bring the dead back to life for one day only. Bulma then explains the Dragon Balls and her adventures with Goku to Grandpa Gohan. Grandpa Gohan is content with "life" in the Other World, and thus chooses to remain dead, vanishing after thanking Roshi for teaching Goku and giving his grandson a final farewell. It appears that Grandpa Gohan possesses some of Master Roshi's perverted traits, as he states "I've got a lot of friends, and most of them are brunettes."

Piccolo Jr. Saga[]

Main article: Piccolo Jr. Saga Grandpa Gohan makes another appearance in anime filler; in the final two episodes of Dragon Ball in which Goku and Chi-Chi have been in the middle of a quest to lower a new fire engulfing Fire Mountain with Ox-King trapped inside protecting Chi-Chi's wedding dress.

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Grandpa Gohan with Goku and Chi-Chi

Goku and Chi-Chi come upon the gateway between the living world and the next, making their way past numerous illusions, they find themselves in the cave of the Spirit Furnace. They end up meeting up with Grandpa Gohan, whom Goku mistakes for being the legendary furnace keeper Annin.

Grandpa Gohan is actually a bodyguard for Annin, as well as protecting the lever that can turn off the Spirit Furnace. After a small scuffle with Annin, Goku is allowed to travel into the depths of the furnace where he is able to patch the leak. Goku bids a final farewell to his grandfather as he and Chi-Chi move on into the beginning of wedded bliss for many years.

Dragon Ball Z[]

Raditz Saga[]

Main article: Raditz Saga

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Grandpa Gohan with kid Goku

While seen only through flashbacks, Grandpa Gohan appears quite a few times throughout the Dragon Ball Z series. Out of three known flashbacks, the first is when Master Roshi tells Goku of Grandpa Gohan's story of finding him. Through this flashback, it's insinuated that Goku's first "off-screen" Great Ape transformation occurred after his arrival upon Earth and following a first glimpse Grandpa Gohan had of him (explaining why in Bardock - The Father of Goku, Grandpa Gohan picks up Goku to take home among leveled trees in daylight, in contrast to first seeing him in his infant ship at night, and also why he clearly knew of the transformation in the Dragon Ball series).

Vegeta Saga[]

Main article: Vegeta Saga Later, another flashback takes place where Goku recalls a pre-Dragon Ball moment of his grandfather warning him to never go outside on the night of a full moon after he sees Vegeta transform into a Great Ape. When Goku sees this, he came to realize that when he transformed, he was the one that killed Gohan. He apologized and promised to him that he would defeat Vegeta.

Peaceful World Saga[]

Main article: Peaceful World Saga The final flashback of him comes much later in the series, wherein Goku fondly remembers being found by Grandpa Gohan (a sequence originally shown in the Bardock special, upgraded in animation in a sepia color-tone), followed by a short sequence of Grandpa Gohan's training that raised Goku into a boy "trained like steel".

Dragon Ball Super[]

Universe Survival Saga[]

Main article: Universe Survival Saga During the recruitment of Team Universe 7, Goku mentions Grandpa Gohan after recruiting Android 17. He says the reason he does his heroic actions is because of what his grandfather taught him.

Granolah the Survivor Saga[]

Main article: Granolah the Survivor Saga Grandpa Gohan was mentioned by Goku, during his conversation with Vegeta, Monaito and Granolah.

Dragon Ball GT[]

Shadow Dragon Saga[]

Main article: Shadow Dragon Saga Grandpa Gohan makes one small appearance during a flashback that Goku has at the end of the Dragon Ball GT series. Grandpa Gohan is seen holding Goku up in the air during Goku's final walk outside the World Martial Arts Tournament arena.

Super Dragon Ball Heroes[]

Supreme Kai of Time Saga[]

Main article: Supreme Kai of Time Saga An incarnation of Grandpa Gohan battles Master Roshi in the restarted Super Space-Time Tournament after Demigra's defeat. He uses the Kamehameha against Roshi's Thunder Shock Surprise leading into an Energy Clash.[3]

Power[]

Manga & Anime

Grandpa Gohan was a powerful fighter, having received training from Master Roshi. He was Fortuneteller Baba's top fighter above the likes of Spike the Devil Man, who himself had won two previous World Tournaments. He was shown to be an equal match for Goku even after he had climbed Korin Tower and received training from Korin himself.

Techniques and Special Abilities[]

  • Kamehameha – A whitish-blue energy wave shot from both hands.
  • Rock, Scissors 'N' Paper – The martial arts technique invented by Grandpa Gohan and translating rock-scissors-paper.
  • Turtle School Tranquility – Grandpa Gohan's Ultimate Blast in Budokai Tenkaichi 2 and 3. Grandpa Gohan kicks his opponent into the air and flies toward the enemy and kicks them down. While the opponent is falling, Grandpa Gohan performs the Rock, Scissors 'N' Paper technique on them.
  • Turtle School Four Virtues – A rush attack used by Grandpa Gohan. First, Grandpa Gohan says "Got you now!" as he kicks the opponent into the air. Then, he jumps behind the opponent and dashes to punch their feet making them fall. Finally, he hook kicks them away.
  • Thunder Shock Surprise – One of the most powerful attacks invented by Master Roshi who Grandpa Gohan managed to force into using on him during a sparring session. It is unknown if Master Roshi taught it to Grandpa Gohan or if ge learned it through Mimicry after Master Roshi used it upon him. Grandpa Gohan uses this technique in Dragon Ball: Origins.
  • Explosive Wave – He creates a weak burst of energy for protection, with himself serving as the nexus. If anyone comes in contact with the wave, they will be knocked away, and receive minor damage. Used in Dragon Ball: Origins.
  • Afterimage Technique – Grandpa Gohan moves so quickly that he leaves an image of himself behind. Most often, it is used to dodge an incoming attack and get behind the opponent to perform a counter-attack. Grandpa Gohan uses the Afterimage Technique in Dragon Ball: Origins. In the Budokai Tenkaichi series, he instead uses the Afterimage Strike.
  • Sleep – One of Grandpa Gohan's Blast 1 in the Budokai Tenkaichi series.

Appearances in other media[]

Live-action films[]

Dragon Ball: The Magic Begins[]

In the unofficial live action movie Dragon Ball: The Magic Begins, Grandpa Gohan (known as "Sparkle" in the movie) is alive and trains with Goku, then is captured by villains searching for his Dragon Ball.

Dragonball Evolution[]

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Grandpa Gohan as portrayed by Randall Duk Kim in the live-action adaptation Dragonball: Evolution, holding the Power Pole

Grandpa Gohan in the live-action film Dragonball Evolution is played by Randall Duk Kim.

In the movie, he is killed by Lord Piccolo in his search for the Four-Star Dragon Ball, rather than Goku. In the movie, Grandpa Gohan gives Goku this Dragon Ball as a gift for his 18th birthday.

Video Game Appearances[]

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Grandpa Gohan in-game of Dragon Ball Online

Grandpa Gohan appears in Dragon Ball: Daimaō Fukkatsu, Dragon Ball 3: Gokuden and its WonderSwan remake, and Dragon Ball RPG: Shōnen-hen. He is referred to as the Mysterious Masked Man (謎の仮面男) during the boss fight against him in Dragon Ball Z: Super Gokuden: Totsugeki-Hen. In Dragon Ball Z: Kyōshū! Saiyan, Goku meets Grandpa Gohan while in his journey to King Kai's Planet.

Grandpa Gohan is a boss in Dragon Ball: Advanced Adventure and, afterwards, he is unlocked as a playable character in Free Battle mode. After finding him in Extra Mode, he becomes a playable character in all available modes. Grandpa Gohan also appears as a boss and a playable character in Dragon Ball: Revenge of King Piccolo. He is the final optional boss in Dragon Ball: Origins (level 1-7), and a boss in Dragon Ball: Origins 2.

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Grandpa Gohan in Dragon Ball: Origins 2

Grandpa Gohan is a playable character in both Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 2 and Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 3. During his appearances in these games, Gohan wears the fox mask, which he once donned in Dragon Ball (though it is knocked off when he is damaged enough). He also appears in Dragon Ball Online, in the first story quest.

Grandpa Gohan appears in a cut scene in Dragon Ball Z: Idainaru Son Goku Densetsu, in the opening cinematic of Dragon Ball Z: Sagas, and makes a brief appearance in the story of Dragon Ball Z: Ultimate Tenkaichi. While he himself did not appear in the game, Grandpa Gohan's House was an arena in Dragon Ball Z: Budokai 3, as well as in Dragon Ball Z: Infinite World.

Grandpa Gohan appears as multiple playable cards in Dragon Ball Z: Dokkan Battle.

"A mask resembling Grandpa Gohan, the man who raised Goku."
Dragon Ball Xenoverse 2 Gohan Mask description

In Dragon Ball Xenoverse and Dragon Ball Xenoverse 2, his mask and hat appear as an accessory called Gohan Mask. However the accessory's description erroneously claims it resembles Grandpa Gohan, when in fact it resembles the mask worn by him when he was revived by Fortuneteller Baba, during the Fortuneteller Baba Saga. Additionally, in Conton City circa Age 852, a replica of Grandpa Gohan's House can be found in the Bamboo Forest District in Xenoverse 2. Interestingly, both Goku and his biological father Bardock (Masters Pack DLC) can be found within the Bamboo Forest District not far from Grandpa Gohan's House.

As part of Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot's Bardock - Alone Against Fate DLC, which is an adaptation of the Dragon Ball Z: Bardock - The Father of Goku TV special, Grandpa Gohan appears in the post-credit scene of the DLC that adapts the ending scene of the TV special where Grandpa Gohan finds Saiyan baby Kakarot in the woods, near the crater that Kakarot first lands on Earth in his space-pod, adopts Kakarot as his grandson and renames Kakarot, Goku.

Voice Actors[]

Battles[]

Dragon Ball
  • Grandpa Gohan vs. Goku
Super Dragon Ball Heroes
Anime

Trivia[]

  • Grandpa Gohan's voice is heard in the BLT dub of "The Secret of the Dragon Balls" saying his last words, and is the only time he is heard due to that dub being canceled long before the episode he debuts in.
  • Grandpa Gohan apparently had an appetite similar to Goku's. In "Dress in Flames", Ox-King comments Goku shares his grandfather's fierce appetite, though it would later be revealed that Saiyans have similar appetites. However, it is not uncommon for highly trained Earthling martial artists to demonstrate superhuman appetite for food, as Yamcha and Krillin have occasionally been shown to eat in a manner similar to Goku, usually for humorous effect.
  • The mask Grandpa Gohan wears was originally seen worn by Nejishiki in Dr. Slump.
  • Goku has grown up thinking that Gohan's spirit rests within the Four-Star Dragon ball. He thinks this because it was his most prized possession before he died.
  • Goku's son Gohan is named after his Grandpa Gohan only because the baby went without a name for a while, until the name "Gohan" came into conversation, and the baby laughed because he liked the name, so then Chi-Chi, Goku, and Ox-King decided to name him that.
    • In the Japanese version, Gohan's name is chosen after Goku is unable to think up a name and states that he is hungry, and Chi-Chi yells they ate breakfast (asagohan (朝ご飯)) not long ago.
  • In "Vegeta... Saiyan Style!", a mistranslation by Funimation's writers leads Goku to apparently realize that Vegeta killed Grandpa Gohan. This is most likely because Goku realizes Grandpa Gohan was killed by a Great Ape, but the Dragon Ball anime had not yet been dubbed into English, which led Funimation to the incorrect conclusion that Goku was referring specifically to Vegeta and not the generic Great Ape. This is corrected in the uncut redub, which was produced after the English dub of Dragon Ball.
  • In Budokai Tenkaichi 3, when Goku fights Grandpa Gohan as a Super Saiyan (any type), Goku says "Grandpa, look I'm a Super Saiyan." then Grandpa Gohan says "Oh, that's very good."
  • In Dragon Ball Super, it is revealed by Goku, to Android 17 that the reason he refuses to let innocent people and animals die is because that is what his grandfather taught him, indicating that Goku's main heroic qualities are due to the influence of his Grandpa Gohan, who helped mold Goku into the warrior he ultimately became.
  • Although he doesn't appear in Dragon Ball Super, his fight with Goku during the Fortuneteller Baba Saga is referenced in "The Evil Emperor Returns! A Reception from Mysterious Assassins?", as Goku re-enacts their fight at Baba's place while waiting for Frieza to be revived.
  • In Dragon Ball: Budokai Tenkaichi 3, when he loses a match, Grandpa Gohan will yell "Help, I've fallen and can't get up!" referring to the catchphrase for Life Alert.

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References[]

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